The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-30
THE COMMISSION SHOULD GO.

In the card which Delegate Game
published in the Washington Post of the
Goth instant, and which was re-
produced in THE HERALD of Yesterday
morning. the gentleman makes so
PLAIN a certain matter that his showing
should have its effect il Congress. One
OF the most reckless and extravaganza
pieces OF legislation which ever found
It's way into the books, was that proyis-
ion in the Edmunds law of 1882 Great
ing the Utah Commission. There was
never any more necessity or occasion
Tor that commission than for a Japan
esefan at the North Pole. Either ig-
noTance or corruption was the father of
the commission idea, and we are inclin-
ed to believe it was the latter, for
there could securely have been
such dense ignorance in Congress
as to think that the board was essential
or could be useful. The mos: charitable
view to take of the matter is the one
which suggests that fat places were to
be provided for favorites or party
hacks to whom politicians were under
obligations. 1t has cost the nation
SOS geo year to maintain this orna.
mental board made up of a quintette
of political idlers who spend but few |
weeks in Utah, and for all there is for
them to do here, might as well never |
set foot in the Territory, But as
Watts says:
Satan finds some mischi eff still
For idle haods To do
In the absence of something to employ
their minds the Commissioners have
devoted themselves to making mischief,
and it will not be surprising if they
shall work themselves out of their fat
sine cures. They have been keen for
additional legislation, recon mending
and urging it with a regularity that has
only been sequaled by the venom OF the
men themselves. They have favored the
Tucker bill, and it is believed that some
OF them have legged and Iobbied for it,
II men so accustomed to doing nothing !
more enervating than smoking cigars. {
playing pool and swinging back in hotel
chairs, can be presumed TO get up
enough energy to leg and lobby. If
this their pet bill should by some awful
mischance go through and become a +
law. 1t ought to Iegislate the useless g
commission out of existence, and q
retire the oVerpajd commissioners to r
the quiet, lazy lives for which they have I
shown such admirable adaptabilitv- .
As The HERALD has pointed out. the !
Tucker bill reduces the elective officers
IN the Territory to twenty-fve-twentv- {
four Representatives to the Legislature i
andone Delegate to Congress. These "a
are to be chosen biennialIy. Mr.. Game :
shows in his card that to- continue the .
Commission will cost the general gov -
eminent $65,000 a year, with nothing =
for them to do, save the conducting of -
an election every two years. Thus, to -
elect twenty-five men, twenty-four of o
them to serve sixty days, and one to +,
hold Office two years, the government q
will have TO pay $13o,OOO, or at the rate n
of 81, 200 for every person elected. Isn't ;,
the proposition ridiculousf The Com Z,
mission ought to have gone long ago; it
ought never to have been created; it r,
will be in the line of poetic justice if it I,
shall have to go soon as a consequence II
Of its own mischief making, and unwar n
rantable interference In affairs which Il
did not concern in. n